Articles

1/28/12

Whether it was an attempted robbery or a drug deal gone wrong, one man at least faces weapons charges following an incident in Avalon on Jan. 25.

Police were called to Orchard and Cleveland avenues for a fight between two males that involved a gun. They arrived to find one man running down Alley C, while the other claimed to have been the victim of an attempted armed robbery.

1/28/12

A laptop computer was reported stolen during the burglary of a North Avenue home on Jan. 21.

A Bellevue man reported Jan. 26 that gift cards had been stolen from his wallet.

On Jan. 18, a woman reported that fraudulent charges had been made on her bank card.

Shoplifting incidents were reported at Rite Aid, Pit Stop Express and Family Dollar, with an employee of the latter nearly struck by vehicle as the suspect fled the scene on Jan. 23.

1/22/12

The use of a stolen gift card led area police to a Bellevue man, and the discovery of a lot more stolen goods.

The case began on Dec. 27, when two Ben Avon residents reported thefts from their vehicles. One owner reported that a gun had been stolen, along with several gift cards. Ohio Township Police were able to obtain video of the man who used the card at Giant Eagle, and worked with Avalon and Bellevue police to identify that man as Keith Dengler, 23, of Bellevue.

1/22/12

The Borough of Emsworth will conduct smoke tests of sanitary sewer lines in the area along Ohio River Boulevard.

The testing will take 2-3 days, weather permitting. The test will assist the borough in locating infiltration and exfiltration in the underground sewer system.

During the test, people may see smoke coming from vent stacks, manholes, inlets, and holes in the ground. The smoke has no color, and is non-toxic, non-staining, does not create a fire hazard and will dissipate in a few minutes.

1/22/12

Ben Avon is considering offering a tax abatement to anyone who would like to buy certain property on Park Avenue, with the stipulation that the existing structures would be torn down and that any rebuilding would be done according to the borough's code.

The property currently consists of five buildings containing 19 units. Nearly five years ago, Jeff Garbinski bought it with the idea of renovating the property into 19 affordable housing units. However, little has been done since that time and various problems have ensued.

1/22/12

A proposed preliminary budget approved by the Avonworth School Board will include a higher tax rate -- and more revenue -- than first expected.

In the week since its work session on Jan. 9, officials recalculated the proposed 2012-13 budget based on the latest decision in the Allegheny County reassessment effort that will allow local governments to use the old assessment numbers this year while the reassessment is completed.

1/22/12

Ohio Township Police have identified the man who robbed an Emsworth resident on Jan. 10 as the same man arrested Thursday morning for the rapes of two women in Ross Township.

Ohio Township Police Chief Beaver Micklos said that his officers planned to file charges Thursday against Arthur Henderson, 38, of Ross, for the Jan. 10 robbery of Paul Leung in the parking lot of the House of Lee restaurant in Emsworth. Leung was seriously injured and robbed of $4,000 - $5,000 after returning to his residence above the restaurant after gambling at the North Side casino.

1/14/12

The Avonworth School Board will vote next Monday on whether to apply for exceptions that will allow the board to to triple next year’s allowable millage increase.

Under state law, Avonworth is permitted to increase the property tax millage rate for 2012-13 by only .26 mills. Anything over that has to be approved by voters on a ballot referendum unless the district is granted exceptions to the referendum rule by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

1/14/12

A resident of Dawson Avenue reported to police on Jan. 8 that jewelry had been stolen from her home while work was being done there during the week.

A GPS unit was reported stolen from a vehile parked in the 100 block of Lincoln Avenue on Jan. 8.

A Dakota Avenue resident also reported Jan. 8 that someone had broken into her parked car.

The windshield was smashed in a vehicle parked on dawson Avenue. the vandalism was reported Jan. 5.

On Jan. 6, the new owner of rental property on Grant Avenue reported that a red swastika had been painted on the basement wall.

1/14/12

Twice in one week proved to be one time too many, as the second vehicle to hit a utility pole on North Balph Avenue in Bellevue cracked it into two pieces Sunday evening. The driver, however, didn’t stick around to see the damage.

Emergency personnel called to the scene of the accident said that the pole located in the 200 block of North Balph had been hit just days before. Sunday’s impact, however, proved too much for the pole, which broke apart. Residents in the area experienced a loss of electrical power while Duquesne Light crews worked to secure the lines involved.

1/14/12

A Pittsburgh man faces an extensive list of criminal charges after reportedly stealing 24 cents worth of gas from a Bellevue gas station and being pursued by police for about 500 feet.

David Marks, 52, of 25 Lanark St., Pittsburgh 15214, was caught after what police say was the latest in a series of gas station drive-offs.

1/14/12

Bellevue Council voted unanimously to override Mayor George Doscher’s veto of the salary ordinance adopted by council in December.

Doscher said that he disagreed with a provision of the ordinance that required non-contract employees to contribute 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance. A recent contract reached with the firefighters union set their contribution rate at only 5 percent. Members of the police and public works unions currently contribute nothing.

1/14/12

For the second time in as many weeks, an attempt to oust Bellevue’s solicitor has failed.

A week after a motion to seek proposals from attorneys failed in a tie vote at the borough council’s reorganization meeting, a second motion made at the first regular council meeting on Tuesday met the same end.

1/8/12

Five newly-elected members of Avalon Council -- including two who won their seats through write-in votes -- were sworn in at Monday’s reorganization of the borough’s government.

Incumbents Ralph Cortese, Vicki Donnelly and Patrick Narcisi were administered the oath of office by Mayor David Haslett. Joining them were the winners of write-in votes in November, Joshua Klicker and John Vetterly.

Ed Repp and Narcisi were returned to their positions as council president and vice president, respectively.

1/8/12

Bellevue Police investigated a burglary at a South Balph Avenue residence on Dec. 21.

Several thefts from vehicles were reported to police. Thefts were reported from vehicles on Forest Avenue on Dec. 21, Highland Place on Dec. 27, Summit Avenue on Dec. 27, two vehicles on Shade Avenue on Dec. 29, and another on North Jackson Avenue on Dec. 29.

Packages delivered by the post office were reported stolen from the front porch of a residence in the 400 block of Teece Avenue on Dec. 21.

Robert Kitchen, 44, of Bellevue, was charged with robbery on Dec. 21.

1/8/12

A healthy carry-over from 2011 helped convince Bellevue Council members that no property tax increase is necessary for 2012.

Council voted unanimously at its Dec. 30 meeting not to enact a proposed .25 mill tax increase, although members reversed themselves and voted for a 25 cent increase in the sewer surcharge per 1,000 gallons of water used. Council member Lisa Blaney-Stewart was absent from her final meeting.

1/8/12

Three newly-elected members of Ben Avon Council were sworn in by Mayor Bob Jones Monday evening before council voted to return Lloyd Corder to the president’s chair and committee appointments were announced.

Pictured here from left are Corder, newly-elected council members Earl Bohn, Suzanne Weiss and Michael Bett, and Jones.

Corder was re-elected president of council in a unanimous vote, as was Weiss as vice president.

Corder was prepared to make committee assignments for the coming year, and also named council members to handle special projects.

1/8/12

Emsworth Council members chose experience over politics in electing a new president last Monday evening.

Although Paul Getz is the only Republican on council, he has considerably more experience in borough affairs than any of his colleagues, which include three brand new council members sworn in that night along with incumbent Alex Nalevanko.

Taking the oath of office along with Nalevanko were Kevin Yurkovich, Tom Maletick and Brian Fashian.

1/8/12

A clerk at the BP gas station on Route 65 in Avalon was held at knifepoint during a robbery on Dec. 23.

Police say the man -- described as a black male with a thin build -- demanded money from the cash register, then threw a dollar on the counter -- apparently in payment for a candy bar -- before running out of the station and south on Route 65.

1/7/12

The post-election reorganization of Bellevue Council Monday night was not without incident -- several of them in fact. The meeting began with one council member-elect omitted from the swearing-in, and ended with questions about the legitimacy of the entire process. In between, a new regime took charge of council, and perhaps set the tone for the coming year.

12/17/11

Although there were any number of questions about who and when and how, Bellevue Council voted Tuesday to award a contract for a streetscape design to Civil and Environmental Consultants.

The firm’s bid was some $3,000 higher than the next competitive bidder’s, but members of the Downtown Business District Advisory Committee re-commended CEC because, according to council president Kathy Coder, its proposal was customized to relate to Bellevue, and the company had experience with similar streetscape projects.

12/16/11

With only a couple weeks left in the year, local officials are being forced to make the hard decisions when it comes to budgets for 2012.

In Bellevue, final adoption of the budget will not be considered until Dec. 30, with a public hearing to be held Monday, Dec. 19. Council members are continuing to debate the proposed .25 mill property tax increase and a 25 cents per 1,000 gallons sewer surcharge hike.

Council member Linda Woshner said that since the news of the tax increase came out, she has heard from several people opposed to it.

12/16/11

Emsworth now has a resolution setting a pay scale for public works employees, but that doesn’t mean either of the borough’s two part-time DPW workers will be getting a raise right away.

The resolution adopted by council at its meeting Wednesday sets a pay range for the DPW, from $15 to $24 per hour. It also allows the employees to be reimbursed by the borough for up to $200 per month for health insurance they purchase themselves, and up to $300 per year for clothing.

12/10/11

Avalon Police made several alcohol and drug related arrests in the past week.

John Black, 56, of Pittsburgh 15212 was charged with driving under the influence on Route 65 on Dec. 3.

William Thompson, 35, of Bellevue, was charged with possession of narcotics, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct following an incident on California Avenue on Dec. 3.

Gregory Hall, 37, of Pittsburgh 15214 was charged with disorderly conduct on Dec. 4 after, police say, he was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana.